Cleckheaton library petition handed to council

A petition against the closure of Cleckheaton Library has racked up 3,700 names.

Coun Andrew Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) presented the signatures to a full meeting of Kirklees Council on Wednesday.

Mr Pinnock, of Peaseland Close, hopes that once the petition is verified by council officers, its proposals can be debated in a council meetingscheduled for early 2015.

He said: “The people who have signed the Hands Off Our Library petition have helped to send a very clear message to the council.

“Like us, they want Cleckheaton Library to remain open and on its current site. And rightly so – it is one of the most highly-used libraries in Kirklees, housed in a beautiful purpose-built building with excellent parking, as well as being situated on local bus routes.

“In addition to the excellent library and IT services it provides, the building is also used by many local groups and organisations, such as the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, which runs a weekly session there.

“It’s not just a library and that’s a very important point for us to get across to the council.”

Plans to close the library were revealed in July at a policy committee meeting. Members were told that its services could possibly be moved into the town hall.

Kirklees Council has said it has to reduce its budget by £69m over the next three years.

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